Suunto Blog

Train Put in the hard work, understand your training load and the different stimuli you are putting on your body. Figure out your training zones Key components to improve your fitness are frequency, duration and intensity. Frequency and duration are easy to understand, but training intensity is a bit more tricky. How hard is hard? And why should I care? Read on to learn about intensity zones and about defining them. Read more Manage your training with Suunto app’s Training zone A progressive training load with adequate recovery and ways to follow progress will lead to a successful adventure or race. The new training toolset in Suunto app’s Training zone is vast. Read on and learn what’s available. We are sure you will find your new favorite dataset to analyze your training and follow your progress. Read more Understand and manage your training load with Suunto Suunto app’s long-term analysis view tracks your training load and helps you stay in balance – whether that means progress, maintaining your fitness or avoiding over-training. Here are four scenarios to help you understand the graphs. Read more Training with TSS and hrTSS What are TSS and hrTSS and how can these training metrics help? Read more View TSS and other power-based cycling metrics in real-time Normalized Power, Intensity Factor and Training Stress Score are key metrics for all cyclists who use power meters in their training. You can view these metrics in real-time on Suunto Vertical, Suunto Race, Suunto 9 and Suunto 5 watches. Read more Know your power source: the body’s three energy systems Understanding how your energy is produced can aid training and improve your quality of life. Suunto partner PerfectPace explains your main power sources. Read more Unlock your interval training and watch your running improve Follow Golden Trail World Series champion, Trail Running World Champion and running coach Stian Angermund’s advice and do interval training right to get results. Read more 3 interval sessions for trail runners Trail running world champion Stian Angermund explains three interval training drills to help you increase your speed and power. Read more Plan your interval workouts with Suunto app Build a workout in Suunto app and let your watch guide you through your session! Read more 8 Essential running form drills Improve your running technique with these essential running form drills – and follow them as a SuuntoPlus Guide on your watch! Read more Intro to distance running technique In this article we dig deep into the details of running technique with six key areas for you to focus on. Read on to learn more! Read more Improve your running with high-intensity hill repeats Hill repeats build your strength and improve your speed and coordination. This article presented by TrainingPeaks coach Steven Brandes highlights the importance of high-intensity hill repeats and how to do them successfully. Read more Boost your hill training with SuuntoPlus Climb Hill repeats are an essential part of an outdoor athlete’s workout repertoire. To make the hard work pay off, pacing is key. The new Climb SuuntoPlus™ feature does just that: it gives you real-time insights into your effort and motivates you to keep going. Read more Using the Track to Learn How to Properly Pace Your Run Using the track is a great way to improve your ability to pace yourself correctly. In this article presented by TrainingPeaks coach Todd Parker introduces a workout that helps you get in touch with the right pace for you. Read more 5 reasons why endurance athletes should do high-intensity strength training Boost your vertical speed and avoid injury by lifting heavy weights. To improve vertical speed and endurance, high-intensity resistance training should be an essential component of your training plan, says sports scientist, coach and athlete Susi Kraft. Read more 12 high-intensity strength training exercises for endurance athletes Follow our training video and SuuntoPlus Guide to get stronger. In this article, sports scientist, coach and ski mountaineer Susi Kraft explains and demonstrates how to perform 12 strength-building exercises correctly and safely. Read more Is the ultimate cross-training… breathing? Sports coaches worldwide talk about 'good fundamentals’ – you’ve got to own the basics before you can even begin to achieve mastery in a discipline. But former pro freediver Mike Maric takes that deeper than most, by addressing one of the most basic functions of life: breathing. The medically educated forensic scientist from Italy has taken what he’s learned from free diving and applied it to a multitude of other sports – with stunning success. Read more Control your core body temperature and get better performance results Your core body temperature can massively impact your performance. That’s why athletes pour water over themselves during races. They’re trying to cool down because they know once their core body temperature reaches a certain level, they’ll lose power and their performance will deteriorate. Like heart rate and power, core body temperature is a crucial metric for elite and recreational athletes alike. Read more   Recover There’s no one without the other: put in the hard work and rest to rise to the next level. Four ways to follow your recovery with Suunto Am I able to recover from my workouts? Is my mental recovery at the same level as physical? Do I ensure recovery with a good amount of sleep? Read on to learn how Suunto can help you in your recovery! Read more How to use HRV to optimize your recovery Heart rate variability (HRV) is a helpful metric for endurance athletes. Read on to learn why there’s a buzz around it and how to use Suunto to track heart rate variability. Read more Learn how sleep can make you a better runner    Sleeping well should come naturally, right? Yet many of us feel tired most of the week. A sleep doctor gives six tips to help you improve your running and overall quality of life. Read more 4 tips to recover well for your best performance One often ignored component to keep your training steady is ensuring you are getting enough recovery time. It can seem like taking a break from running will disrupt your momentum, but oftentimes it does the exact opposite – it freshens you up and reinvigorates you. Read more   Progress Is your fitness having an upward trend? Understanding your progress is both motivating and helps you understand if your training has a positive impact. How to follow your progress with Suunto The essence of training is to improve physical performance. But how do you know if you are progressing? In this article, you will learn how Suunto can help you. Read more Test your fitness with Suunto Here are five SuuntoPlus sports apps that will help you find the right intensity zones for your training and track your progress. Read more  

Follow the latest updates and developments of your Suunto Vertical GPS watch and enjoy it to its full potential. On this page you can see in a timeline view how your Suunto Vertical has evolved since it was launched in June 2023. To always have the latest watch software, we recommend you enable automatic, over the air software updates in the watch settings. Also, make sure you are using the latest version of Suunto app for iOS or for Android. You can find dozens of SuuntoPlus sports apps in Suunto mobile app’s SuuntoPlus Store and the ever-growing list of Suunto compatible partner services is here.   March 2024 The new Vertical Week sports app was published to SuuntoPlus Store. The SuuntoPlus Vertical Week sports app can be used to track the total elevation gain of multiple workouts during the week. Learn more about Suunto World Vertical Week 2024. Pace your mountain races with SuuntoPlus Vertical Race sports app. The Vertical Race sports app is designed to be used on vertical races. Set you race distance, vertical meters and goal time and follow the pace data live on your Suunto. Follow and improve your running technique with Stryd SuuntoPlus sports app. The Stryd sensor provides data such as ground contact time, vertical oscillation, leg stiffness and impact loading rate. Read more about improving your running technique with Suunto and Stryd here For ultrarunners, there is now an Ultrarun& walk SuuntoPlus sports app that will track how much one runs, walks, or stays still on the race. The app helps you to pace & analyse long efforts. This sports app has been built by trailrunner Alessio Sclocco who is also part of Suunto fieldtest community. A software update for Suunto Vertical, Suunto Race and Suunto 9 Peak Pro was released. The update delivered three new watch faces, better support for emojis in mobile notifications and a pause reminder. The update also provided navigation enhancements with improved high contrast map style for use with always on display and a new ruler tool to measure distances on map to nearby locations. Suunto app was updated with performance improvements to data sync between watch and Suunto app and a user interface change to how workout summary values are shown in the app. New Suunto connected partner services include Base de Vitesse aimed for surfers and sailors, Be Number one sport for competing in your sports, MoveEffect aimed for corporate health and Mia Health to engage in your fitness journey. You can find the latest list of partners from here   February 2024 New Winter maps map layer with downhill and cross-country skiing tracks came available in Suunto app to help you find the best places to ski. Waypoint import was improved for GPX route import with better waypoint compatibility with route planning services. Training Zone Summary now shows swim pace, average power and normalised power. Performance improvements to data sync between watch and Suunto app Suuntoplus Power Zones and Pace Zones sports apps were published for runners and riders. Now you can follow the cumulative time in each zone and see which zone you currently are working out.  Suunto is now compatible Xioami MiFitness. Xiaomi users can now connect their devices with Suunto via Mifitness app. This gives the possibility to use Suunto app tools as well as get connected with Suunto ecosystem. Read more here.   January 2024 Race with the new SuuntoPlus Race Pacer sports app. Set your target distance and time with even or negative splits. Now you can follow your Runna training plans in your Suunto watch FIT-UP app is now suunto compatible, designed for fitness, nutrition and mindfulness Suunto app calendar view now includes date numbers, offering a clearer overview of your training schedule. New interactivity in Suunto app route planning: touch the altitude profile chart to see corresponding locations on the map. Sleep analysis in Suunto app has been upgraded to support multiple naps within a single day, giving you a more comprehensive understanding of your rest patterns. Switching between the data table and graph in Suunto app’s Training Zone Summary is now more intuitive and user-friendly. Suunto app now remembers your last used settings for feed filtering (All/Me/Following) and your preferred Training Zone tab and graph types, making your experience more personalized and efficient. In the Training Zone Summary, selecting categories like All running sports, All cycling sports, and All swimming sports is now simpler. You can choose these categories without having to select each sport individually. We've fixed formatting issues in SuuntoPlus data, ensuring more accurate and readable information. We have also made several other bug fixes and performance improvements to ensure a smoother and more reliable experience.   December 2023 Better Training analysis Suunto app’s Lap Table now features color-coded columns. Variations from the median lap values are highlighted in shades of red and blue. This color-coding makes it easier to spot laps where your performance was significantly higher or lower than median. We’ve introduced zone graphs for Pace and Power in the workout analysis. These graphs are complemented by a distribution view of pace and power zones, providing a more intuitive understanding of your workout intensities. With Training Zone Summary you can now visualize your selected data through a graph. Summary also includes filters for both automatically and manually tagged workouts. For added convenience in filtering, options such as “All running” or “All cycling” are available, enabling you to select all activities under these categories effortlessly. Plan your adventures with Suunto App Suunto App Route planning has received new features: the ability to reverse planned routes and the addition of “Back to Start” and “Backtrack” options, enhancing your planning capabilities. User experience enhanced. New defaults Sport apps preinstalled to sport modes. When you, as an example, start your tennis workout, it already has tennis sport app, and weight training has Gym Timer. Suunto App has now streamlined the recovery features by combining the Recovery and Sleep tabs into a single, unified Recovery tab, simplifying access to your recovery and sleep data Celebrate the end of the year with your achievements with Annual report in Suunto app and share the updated yearly summary also in story format (9:16). Get more out of your sports with new partners RaceID miles partner app gets Suunto compatible Runology running technique video analysis gets Suunto compatible Runredeem is now Suunto compatible with their loyalty program customers Surlo app for sailing and other water sports gets Suunto connected Get more out of your Indoor cycling training with Suunto compatible ICTtrainer Ride with BMC companion app which is now Suunto compatible   November 2023 Training, recovery and progress come to your watch, including Heart Rate Variability (HRV) Follow training load and volume with training widgets in your watch. Follow recovery status from training with TSB and feeling in your watch. Measure Heart rate variability (HRV) to optimize your recovery. Follow your progress with chronic training load (CTL) widget. Get Suunto Coach comments in training widgets. Exercise with new rope skipping activity type. Read more: How to use HRV to optimize your recoveryHow to follow your progress with Suunto Training with TSS Follow Training load Must-read articles that guide you into Suunto’s world of training   The watch now fits better to your daily life New UI structure with mini widgets Customization of the widgets using Suunto app: Select the widgets you want to have on your watch and change the order they are shown. Improved the watch user interface speed A higher zoom level on the maps ‘Find my phone’ feature on your watch Do not disturb mode New media controls Multiple alarms   New connections KML file import in Suunto app Suunto Vitality compatibility now includes AIA Malaysia   October 2023 Better Training analysis Follow the training impacts of workouts in Suunto app SuuntoPlus Vertical race segment guide available in SuuntoPlus Store for Malaysian Suunto fans.   Enhanced user experience The Suunto App home screen can now be filtered with all, me or following. New, colourful Suunto accessory straps   September 2023 New tools to understand you training impact and intensity Training summary: A tool to analyse & find your key workouts in Suunto app. Go to Training Zone tab and check the Summary. Movement: Track your movements with wrist acceleration to follow the overall workout intensity. Gets you the insights of rapid efforts. Heart rate zones: Follow the cumulative time spent on different heart rate zones on one screen. Great to keep the intensity on target. Fused zones: Shows which intensity zone you are currently in, looking at different intensity metrics and based on that evaluating the best matching as a result. Peak Pace: Track the peak pace efforts on your run. Peak power: Track the hard sprints and efforts on your wrist. Plan better Interval planner: Use the Interval planner in Suunto app now with all activity types. Prepare for optimal race Race nutrition: Plan your race nutrition and get reminders right on your Suunto. Race companion: A simple, customizable tool that shows you the key information during a race. Backyard ultra: Race companion for Backyard Ultra racers. Follow each 6.7km loop and keep track of the laps – and when to go next! Get most out of your sport Gym Timer: Follow the recovery time between the sets. Adjust as needed and then go again. Score – Golf: Count each strike and measure the distance of the drives with the Golf Score sport app. Score – Tennis: Keep count of the game score on your wrist. Score – Soccer: Keep up with the game score and get alerted with the half time. Score – Badminton: Keep up with the badminton game score. Score counter: Counter for any game. Play with 1–4 players and keep the results on your wrist. Learn more: Discover dozens of SuuntoPlus sport apps for your Suunto   July 2023 New sensor compatibility Train.red: Connect your Suunto with a Train.red sensor to follow your muscle oxygen levels. The data will also be available in after analysis.   June 2023 Strava updates In addition to syncing your activities to Strava and using Strava routes with your Suunto watch, you can now also race Strava Live Segments with your Suunto. Learn how to chase Strava segments with your Suunto Get more out of your sports Surfer: Count each wave surfed automatically. Each wave is also stored as laps in your surf session. Running economy: Follow the running economy with heartrate vs. pace. Running economy is illustrated with a beats/km value. Shoe Tester: Follow test protocol to test different shoes to see which are the fastest for you. Disc Golf: Keep track of each disc golf throw and see the distance thrown. Get ready for the outdoors Weather forecast sports app: Keep the forecasted weather on our wrist while doing the long ride or hike. ICE: Store your emergency information on your wrist. If you don’t move the watch, it will start an alert to draw attention to the info. Relief Maps: Gets Suunto connected with 3d maps and live data sharing for outdoor enthusiast. Join challenges with Uprace App Race in Virtual Races Tackitup app Suunto Weekend Adventure collections published in Komoot

We asked the Suunto community for your favorite training music. Here’s what you listen to as two Spotify playlists! In the pursuit of peak performance, the right playlist can be just as essential as the perfect pair of sneakers or a well-balanced meal. Understanding the profound impact music has on our workouts, we turned to the Suunto community for their ultimate training anthems.  The result? Two electrifying compilations curated directly from their recommendations: one pulsating with fast, energetic rhythms to fuel the most intense workouts, and the other, a collection of smooth, easy-listening melodies crafted to accompany moments of serene focus and recovery.  Dive into the beats that inspire, motivate, and elevate our training sessions below!   Fast-paced training music by Suunto Community We asked you delivered: These power songs get the Suunto community through the tough workouts.   Easy-paced training music by Suunto Community We asked you delivered: These chill songs get the Suunto community's workouts to flow smoothly.

Suunto World Vertical Week, the thrilling celebration of the uphill challenge, united outdoor enthusiasts from around the globe in a collective pursuit of elevation gain on March 18–24. All human-powered activities by the participants were counted and every hill was turned into an opportunity to conquer new heights.  We have now analyzed the data to see which country and activity type climbed the most!   The usual suspects were on top of the country rankings In the country rankings, the usual suspects – countries in the mountainous regions of Europe – were once again on top. This time Italy dethroned Austria for the number one spot with over 400 meters of ascent per activity on average. Switzerland also broke its way to the top three. The only non-European nation in the top 10 was South Africa in ninth place. Greece made it to the top 10 for the first time.   Average ascent meters by country   When looking at the total ascent, meaning adding up the ascent in all the activities in a nation for the Vertical Week, France took the top spot from Spain and Italy climbed past Austria on the third spot. Top 10 for total ascent meters France Spain Italy Austria Germany Switzerland USA Poland United Kingdom Czech Republic   Skiers – and the Japanese trail runners – were above the rest In the activity type rankings, there weren’t any major changes: ski touring activities had the biggest average ascent, followed by mountaineering and trail running. The average ascent for all the ski touring activities came close to the magical 1000-meter mark but was still a bit below the summit. Maybe next time!   Average ascent meters by activity type   While the skiers had the biggest days on average, when looking at individual activities with over 1000 meters of ascent, trail runners were in the lead. In 2023 the order was the other way round. In the individual performances, four people really stood out: They all had tracked over 20.000 meters of human-powered ascent during the Vertical Week. Impressive! And while looking at the big picture, many people seemed to push it more than last year: For a top 10% placing, you needed to climb 2275 meters during this year’s Vertical Week. That’s almost 373 meters more than in 2023. The same change is visible in the top of the top: To make it to the top 3% of the Vertical Week participants, you needed to climb 4062 meters, 472 meters more than in 2023. The country rankings winner Italy is very strong also in different activity type rankings. They earned a podium spot in six out of ten different categories! Ski touring Slovakia 1160m Switzerland 1062m Poland 1051m(Average for all countries 953 m) Whoop whoop, we have a new winner in the ski touring category! The Slovakian skiers ascended more than any other nation in any of the categories. It’s also clear that the 1000-meter mark is a clear goal for skiers, and the entire top 3 broke that limit. Trail running Japan 1076m Italy 674m Greece 600m(Average for all countries 457 m) This is amazing: The Japanese trail runners were the only ones breaking the 1000-meter mark in any other category than ski touring. They kept their well-deserved top spot in trail running for another year. Congratulations! Mountaineering Italy 865m Finland 838m France 799m(Average for all countries 633 m) Italy continued their dominancy, but the second place was a surprise: How did such a flat country as Finland make its way to second place? Mountain biking South Africa 645m Italy 547m Slovenia 540m(Average for all countries 393 m) The South Africans were active on the bike, climbed more than any other nation and ensured that also the African continent was presented in the rankings. Gravel cycling United Kingdom 656m United States 440m Italy 421m(Average for all countries 298 m) Gravel cycling was a new addition on the list this time. And, not surprisingly, the ascent meters for gravel cycling fell somewhere between mountain biking and cycling. The UK took the top spot in the activity ranking clearly. Cycling Spain 435m Italy 335m Slovenia 286m(Average for all countries 210 m) Everyone knows that cycling in Spain in the spring is great. And they seem to know it themselves, too! Trekking Japan 850m Switzerland 575m Austria 541m(Average for all countries 351 m) The Japanese took the top spot in two categories, trekking and trail running. Two category wins was only matched by Italy (number one in mountaineering and hiking). Hiking Italy 438m Slovakia 386m Slovenia 351m(Average for all countries 240 m) Yet another category with a strong Italian performance. Forza! Nordic skiing Switzerland 363m Austria 324m Norway 305m(Average for all countries 216 m) While the top three countries in the cross country skiing category were expected, what was surprising was the change in the podium lineup from the previous year: None of these three were on the podium last year. Running Czech Republic 152m Switzerland 138m South Africa 130m(Average for all countries 95 m) Running, the most popular Suunto activity in general, is not focused on the vert. Despite the smaller numbers, there still is a winner: Czech Republic took the number one spot!

Some people choose the path with the least resistance. We choose to celebrate the uphills. Join us for the 10th annual Suunto World Vertical Week on March 18–24! Welcome to Suunto World Vertical Week – a thrilling celebration of the uphill challenge! From March 18 to March 24, outdoor enthusiasts from around the globe will unite in a collective pursuit of elevation gain, turning every hill into an opportunity to conquer new heights. The beauty of Suunto Vertical Week lies in its accessibility, taking place everywhere, and embracing all human-powered activities. Whether you're a trail runner, skier, hiker, mountaineer, cyclist, or any other adventurer, the Vertical Week invites you to climb as much as you can. The ultimate goal? To determine which nation and activity type emerges victorious, boasting the most elevation gain. Joining the Vertical Week is simple – just open the Suunto app and click 'join' in the Vertical Week message. All your human-powered activities during the week count. Join now and elevate your adventure! Follow your progress in real-time The Vertical Week sport app shows the current activity ascent (top), total ascent (bottom) and your total compared to Vertical Week participants in 2023.   You can follow your total ascent for the Vertical Week with the new SuuntoPlus Vertical Week sport app: The Vertical Week sport app will count every meter you climb and show your cumulative ascent for both the current activity and the entire week. You can also see how high you would be ranked in the previous Vertical Week challenge. Are you already in the top 30% or perhaps even the top 5% of participants? Go to the SuuntoPlus Store in Suunto app and sync the Vertical Week sport app to your watch. Before starting your first activity of the Vertical Week, select the sport app in the activity settings. Learn more about SuuntoPlus sport apps.    Join our community events in Innsbruck and Girona If you are spending your Vertical Week in or around Innsbruck, Austria, or Girona, Spain, you should check out our community events: In Innsbruck we will be running with BASEFIVE on March 18 and skiing on March 20 and 23. In Girona we will go on a community run together with the Overland crew on Saturday, March 23.  Learn more about Suunto x OVERLAND Vertical Week events in Girona and join!   Data from previous years Check out which sports and nations have captured the podium places during the past years. Will this year bring changes to the top places? Now is your chance to affect on this year's results by collecting as many vertical meters as possible.  2023 - 2022 - Summer 2021 - Winter 2021 - 2020 - 2019 - 2018 - 2017 - 2016   Read more How to use the terrain maps in your Suunto Vertical 10 Suunto features for vertical gain Suunto World Vertical Week 2023 Big Data

Do you want to optimize your running performance and technique? If yes, pair your Suunto running watch with a Stryd sensor to measure running power and other key metrics, such as leg spring stiffness, vertical oscillation, ground contact time, and impact loading rate. With the new SuuntoPlus Stryd sports app, you can follow these values live while running and get real-time feedback and guidance. You can also access your data for after analysis in Stryd PowerCenter, a platform that helps you plan, analyze, and improve your running. With the Suunto watch and the Stryd sensor, you can take your running to the next level! Follow four key running metrics With your Suunto and the Stryd sensor, you can learn how to balance your leg spring stiffness and vertical oscillation, reduce your ground contact time, and impact loading rate to run faster, smoother, and safer. Leg spring stiffness Leg spring stiffness is a measure of how well you use the elastic energy in your legs to propel yourself forward. It is related to your running power and efficiency. Vertical oscillation Vertical oscillation is a measure of how much you bounce up and down with each stride. It is related to your running form and energy waste. Ground contact time Ground contact time is a measure of how long your foot stays in contact with the ground on each step. It is related to your running speed and intensity. Impact loading rate Impact loading rate is a measure of how quickly you apply force to the ground when you land. It is related to your injury risk and recovery. Pairing a Stryd sensor with a Suunto can help you monitor and optimize these four metrics by providing real-time feedback and personalized insights. These drills will improve your running Different types of drills can help you enhance your running metrics – and your running. Leg spring stiffness: This is a measure of how well you use the elastic energy in your legs to propel yourself forward. To improve your leg spring stiffness, you can do plyometric exercises, such as skipping, bounding, or hopping. These exercises help you develop explosive strength and elasticity in your leg muscles and tendons. Vertical oscillation: This is a measure of how much you bounce up and down with each stride. To reduce your vertical oscillation, you can do drills that focus on your posture, alignment, and cadence, such as running with high knees, butt kicks, or quick feet. These drills help you minimize your vertical movement and improve your running form and efficiency. Ground contact time: This is a measure of how long your foot stays in contact with the ground on each step. To lower your ground contact time, you can do exercises that strengthen your muscles and tendons. Stryd is a wearable device that clips onto your shoe, and communicates with your Suunto watch. How to use Stryd with Suunto Go to the SuuntoPlus Store in the Suunto app on your phone and install SuuntoPlus Stryd sport app on your watch. Before starting an activity, go down to exercise options and select the Stryd sport app under SuuntoPlus menu. Once you select the sports app in the watch, it connects to Stryd sensor. If the connection is for the wrong sensor, just reselect the app. Start your activity. The Stryd data will be presented as an extra screen (swipe left or push the middle button to view it). During your run, the Stryd sport app will show you live data from the Stryd sensor. After you have completed your activity, your running data will be available in both your Suunto and Stryd apps so you can start your analysis. The Stryd sensor and SuuntoPlus Stryd sport app are compatible with Suunto Race, Suunto Vertical, Suunto 9 Peak Pro, Suunto 9 Peak, Suunto 9 Baro, Suunto 9, Suunto 5 Peak, Suunto 5 and Suunto 3 watches. If you already own a Suunto watch but do not yet have Stryd, you can order one here: the Stryd store Read more: 8 essential running form drills